search cityguideny.com

Things to do this week in NYC Apr 23-Apr 30: Outdoor Activities

New York City is not only home to great cultural institutions, shops and events; it's also a place where there are plenty of things to do outside. If you're looking for ways to enjoy New York's beautiful summer weather, we've got some great suggestions for things you can do outdoors?from New York parks and outdoor cafes to flea markets, sporting events, and street fairs. Here are some of our favorite things to do in NYC this week that will get you out of the house!

A two-day festival of art, music, and the environment on Vanderbilt Avenue from 42nd to 45th Streets. A large exhibit area highlighting environmental groups, green businesses and kid’s activities that will include educational interactive displays.

An exhibit area in Vanderbilt Hall featuring technological innovations, a photography exhibit illustrating the effects of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking”, previews of environmentally themed films and events focused on youth.

In their first partnership, the Cooper Union for the Institute for Sustainable Design joins Earth Day New York to raise awareness of the damaging consequences of hydraulic fracturing (“hyrofracking”) in New York. Landscapes of Extraction, a multimedia exhibit featuring the photography of J Henry Fair, looks at the increasingly extreme industrial process used to extract fossil fuels from the ground and its prospects for environmental disaster, polluting the land and tainting the water as well as ruining the landscape. Originally presented at the Cooper Union in January 2011 and now at Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Terminal, in addition to photography, the exhibition features analytic graphics and interactive media developed and built by graduates working at the Cooper Union Institute for Sustainable Design, the Cooper Union Architecture Archive staff, and Mr. Fair.
Free and open to the public.

The undeniable glamour and irresistible allure of orchids take center stage at The New York Botanical Garden in a dazzling display created by Tony award-winning set designer Scott Pask, image-maker Drew Hodges, and Botanical Garden curators. The result is must-see horticultural theater. The Orchid Show: On Broadway features iconic architectural elements from legendary theaters of the Great White Way dramatically interpreted with thousands of orchids in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Just a short stroll across the Garden's grounds in the Library building, a complementary exhibition, Hirschfeld's Broadway Scrapbook, spotlights works by the American caricaturist whose whimsical drawings so captured audiences that a Broadway theater was named in his honor. On weekends, Broadway Cabaret performances highlight popular music from Broadway stages.

Experience the thrill of opening night at The Orchid Show: On Broadway as Tony award-winning set designer Scott Pask and image maker Drew Hodges bring the allure, excitement, and glamour of Broadway to The New York Botanical Garden.
This must-see, limited run horticultural engagement takes place in the dramatic galleries of the landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Echoing elements from some of Broadway's most iconic theaters, including the Walter Kerr Theater and the New Amsterdam Theater, The Orchid Show: On Broadway showcases 5,000 dazzling specimens from one of the most distinguished orchid collections in the world.
Over 300 types of orchid are displayed in dramatic curtains, arcades, and chandeliers under the domes of America's largest glasshouse. Pull up a vintage theater seat and soak-in the show amid the warmth of the glittering Conservatory. Be charmed by the flowery thespians, and on weekends, thrill to the sounds of some of Broadway's best-loved tunes.

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is proud to invite ALL Monroe residents to come to the Zoo April 30, 2011 for a reduced admission fee of just $5 with proper I.D. Meet and greet with town officials, business and civic leaders, friends, and neighbors during a fun filled day to please the whole family. Spend the day visiting new animals at the Zoo, ride the carousel, and enjoy the entertainment. For more information, please call 203-394-6565 or visit www.beardsleyzoo.org

Celebrating its 13th year, this highly popular wintertime destination flourishes in 80-degree temperatures and features up to 500 hovering iridescent butterflies, blooming tropical flowers, and lush green vegetation. The Butterfly Conservatory transforms the iciest winter day into a magical escape into summer. Shimmering, multicolored butterflies gently flutter by visitors' upturned faces, land atop their heads, or perch upon their shoulders.

Swim through tropical landscapes with turtles, dive beneath the ice with penguins and forage in the forest with a family of bears — experience life as animals do in a new exhibition opening February 9, 2011 at Mystic Aquarium. Through interactive displays, firsthand footage and evocative environments, visitors to the exhibit can explore the many stories and animals that are part of the science and adventure of Crittercam. The exhibit focuses on Crittercam’s deployment on seals and sea lions, sharks, sea turtles, whales, penguins, bears and lions.